[PAL-en] Re: Microsoft to launch applications in 3 Nigerian languages

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[message from Ed Cherlin; with minor modifications; apologies for the delay
in forwarding]

Hujambo, Bwana

2008/4/10 .Don Osborn <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> [message from Tunde Adegbola; with minor changes]
>
>  Dear all,
>
>  As you must have noticed in the following correspondence, I was 
> contracted  by Microsoft as the moderator of the project to localise 
> Microsoft Office  into three Nigerian languages.  You must also be 
> aware of a recent  publication that expressed some disappointment in 
> the Kiswahili localisation  project.
>
>  I am sending out this mail to solicit your support in making 
> suggestions on  how to make the end product relevant to its target.
>
>  To my mind, the technical part of the project does not present much  
> challenge.  The main challenge comes from the social part.  How best 
> can the  target be mobilised to accept and own the project?

By allowing them to own the software that they are helping to create.

This is how we do it in the Free/Open Source Kiswahili and Nigerian language
projects of various Linux distributions, including .One.Laptop.Per.Child.
See http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Localization for an overview, including links
to Fedora and Mandriva Linux localization pages. I administer the Haitian
Kreyól and Cambodian Khmer projects, and recruit localizers from target
countries for all OLPC localizations.

> Particularly, how can we
>  ensure much better reception of the project and thereby avoid the 
> kind of  comments made on the Kiswahili project?

I think that Microsoft has imposed on you a fundamental conflict of interest
that prevents you achieving your stated objectives.

>  I am depending on my clan on these issues.

Greetings to your clan. I am sorry that your government has chosen not to
provide your children with the means to better themselves through up-to-date
educational technology, Free Software, and free textbooks and educational
content. We will continue to improve them and create more of them in
preparation for the day when such a program can be funded.

--
.Edward Cherlin

End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ "The best way to predict the future is to
invent it."--Alan Kay